So This Is Love
by petals-to-fish
Summary: "It turns out being head boy, your dashing boyfriend, and quidditch captain is quite the challenge." xxxThis was written for a Tumblr friend requesting the 'James calls out "Lily Potter" instead of calling out "Lily Evans' in public during an argument' Trope.


Requested on tumblr: James and Lily are so dating and it's disgusting to everyone around them maybe just maybe James and Lily fight and in the middle of the GREAT HALL James says something "Lily Potter you come back here!" And then everyone is like ? And also !

 **Levins18 requested this and it turned into a 32 page story so that I could properly fit in everything that was asked for so specifically. Also I brought back my character Anna from _The Quidditch Commentator_ because I missed her.**

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"You're going to have to do something about that Prongs."

Peter Pettigrew didn't care how poorly James Potter was trying to ignore his duties as Head Boy. In fact, Peter probably enjoyed watching James Potter be a poor Head Boy. James sighed deeply as he stared at the problem that was brewing right before his eyes. Two first years were only ten feet from where James stood talking to his friend Peter and they were arguing. James was at the end of rounds and technically could easily walk away from both of them…if he wasn't so responsible for the fact that if anyone got hurt he'd hear about it. James grunted, upset and wishing the Head Girl was around.

The first years were arguing over a Frisbee lined with teeth. The smaller of the first years was holding his head, bloody from a few punctures on his forehead. The second first year was taller and held the culprit, a Fanged Frisbee, between them. It was very clear that the two had been playing with the banned item and an accident had happened.

"Peter," James moaned.

His friend laughed and pushed him slightly, "Go," Peter admonished James, "I've got to get back to the common room with these books for _your_ girlfriend anyhow."

Peter nodded to the books he'd grabbed for Lily Evans, the Head Girl of Hogwarts. She'd asked James that morning to grab her the books on counter acting charm theory. James (who was not only Head Boy but also Quidditch Captain) begged Peter for some help since time wasn't a benefit James had anymore. Peter lifted the cover of one of the books and then nodded at James before turning and walking away.

"I'll tell Lily you send your regards." Peter announced as he strolled away, books in hand.

James sighed again profoundly loud. Instead of following Peter like he wanted to do, James walked towards the two first years.

James hated penalizing students for silly things like banned objects. James just didn't find himself able to deliver some of the punishments. Most of the students respected James just about as much as a dung beetle considering James had spent more time wrecking havoc across the halls of Hogwarts than he had as a rule abiding Head Boy. Anyone over the age of fourteen questioned how James even got the position in the first place after years of pranks gone wrong and detentions galore.

The _only_ reason the two first years were considering him with nervous eyes as he walked up was because they were new to the Hogwarts social scene. They had no idea that James had been in trouble for the exact same fanged Frisbee catastrophe once in his life. All the first years could comprehend was that a seventh year was walking to them with a grim expression and was wearing a Head Boy badge.

"He did it." The bloodied first year pointed to his shamefaced associate who looked at the accuser ludicrously.

"I don't care who started it." James pinched the bridge of his nose like he had a headache, "The both of you need to go wash up and put that thing away before Filch catches you."

"You ain't giving us detention?" The boy holding the disk peered up at James with widespread blue eyes.

James placed his hands on his hips and managed a small smile to assure the boys he meant nothing of the sort. They weren't _hurting_ anyone with their Frisbee playing. James saw the two boys glance behind James for a moment but then they returned their gazes to James uncertainly.

"Listen boys, I get wanting to have fun but that Frisbee could've hurt anybody in this hall. I'm docking points from Hufflepuff-but I won't give you both detention if you promise you won't bring the Frisbee out again."

The two first years looked stunned at their luck and scuttled away promising profusely that they'd hide the Frisbee. James stared after them, reminiscing when he'd been that small and troublesome. He missed the times when his only worry was getting caught by Filch the Hogwarts caretaker.

"And you tell me _I'm_ too nice."

James turned at the sound of a playful voice and his mood shifted immediately from law-abiding citizen to charming troublemaker. His gorgeous girlfriend was standing behind him with a delighted look on her face.

Lily Evans was wearing a pretty flower shirt with a plunging neckline that should've been against school rules, instead of the Frisbee. James forced his eyes to stay on her face as she walked towards him with gusto in her eyes that matched his in concentration. She was wearing her hair down, another instant distraction, as the red strands caught in the torchlight and turned into gold. He wished he knew her secret to staying so lovely, even after a long day of classes. James was sure his own hair looked like a right mess, probably similar to a bird's nest.

Lily continued when she reached his position in the hallway, "I seem to recall a time Black cut open your face _and_ broke your glasses with one of those things."

When Sirius (James' best mate) and James had been caught with the fanged Frisbee in their third year, they'd gotten detention immediately. James always thought the punishment was unfair since they hadn't hurt anybody. How could he give the same punishment to the two first years that just wanted to have fun?

James just didn't know how he was supposed to be a good Head Boy when the punishments didn't fit the crimes.

"Sirius has poor aim." James retorted with a scoffing manner, "He was trying to aim for Miss Norris and buzzed my head instead."

Lily couldn't help but laugh at the mention of Caretaker Filch's nasty cat; James knew she hated the scruffy thing. The cat was everyone's least favorite animal in Hogwarts simply because it was Filch's animal. Filch was the Hogwarts caretaker and he'd caught Lily and James in compromising positions more than once thanks to his meddlesome cat. Lily often asked Sirius if he wouldn't mind making the cat disappear one day.

"Maybe one day Sirius will actually off her." Lily said wistfully.

Lily shuffled her feet closer as James placed one hand on the wall closest to him.

"Did you get your books?" he asked her, noting she had a bag slung over her shoulder and it was empty.

"I passed Peter on my way to the library after I'd given up on you." She admitted, "I forgot you had rounds."

"Lucky you." His eyes dropped to her shirt again, not being shy about looking.

"I figured you wouldn't mind company." She laughed, taking another step so she was almost right up against him.

James leaned towards her laugh, it was always an infectious sound and he found himself laughing as well. And it was nice; never having to wonder if she loved him because when they laughed together, everything seemed flawless. James reached out to tuck a strand of her auburn hair behind her ear and came to realize that once again he had something in the world that meant more to him than anything, something that he could lose.

James Potter was not one to understand or need personal space-at least not around Lily.

Then, with the tiniest flicker of the eyes, there was no longer _any_ space separating James from Lily. In fact, Lily's body was pushed up against his in such a fashion that a few second years giggled nervously as they walked past the pair in the hall.

"I definitely don't mind your company." His nose touched hers and then James' lips were clasped to hers in a way that would've had anyone in the vicinity covering their eyes.

Lily, not even caught off guard by James' assault, laughed against his mouth. She tasted like pepper imps. He pressed his forehead against hers as she continued laughing away his forced kisses.

"How am I supposed to thoroughly ravish you if you won't stop laughing?" he protested as Lily placed both hands on his cheeks and pushed him away from her mouth altogether.

Lily hummed and pushed his hips away from her next with a half a smirk, "I love you." She gave him a pointed look, "But you've really got to start being a bit more considerate of the people around us."

"I'm not kissing you in the bloody Great Hall." James mumbled, put out and crossing his arms to show her so.

"You kissed me in Potions yesterday and I think old Sluggy nearly had a heart attack." Lily reminded James and he chuckled at the recollection.

"Yeah our classmates didn't seem that thrilled either." James recalled seeing Mary making a gagging sound three rows down and Snape looking like James had drowned his favorite puppy.

Lily acted like she minded (but James knew she absolutely loved) when he kissed her. She was the instigator half the time—just like now—when she'd purposely come to interrupt his rounds. James tucked his fingers under her chin, placing kisses along her jaw.

Lily rolled her eyes at that, "You weren't and aren't exactly being discreet."

James had both his hands on her face again, desperate to pull her in close. Her mouth was pressed firmly together, as if to ward off his advances and yet Lily didn't stop him as he pulled her hips back against his. She also didn't stop him when he pressed their foreheads together so he could stare deeply into her stunning eyes.

"That wasn't even that great of a snog…" he licked his lips enticingly, "I could've _really_ grossed them out."

Lily gave him a very simple glare when he leaned in for another kiss but still didn't fight the minute his lips touched hers. Lily always reached for his hair when he started kissing her deeply and very quickly her name was on the tip of his tongue. Lily owned him without even knowing it. James sighed into her mouth, relishing her touch.

James was positively smitten with the witch. Lily was similar to James in humor, loyalties, and wit. Honestly, the only way they truly contrasted was the way that Lily typically liked to overthink her life where as James bounded right into things without thinking about the consequences. James was the first one to kiss her and the first one to say 'I love you'. Lily was the one who followed his developments with loving eyes and a thoughtful heart. James didn't doubt what they had at all.

Lily was tracing patters in their connected hands, smiling up at him like he was all that she needed. They'd been dating for long enough and had known each other since they were eleven years old. It felt only natural to James to love her so purely and unashamedly. But he was still careful not to let on just how much he loved her. He was worried one day she'd wake up and realize he loved her more than she could ever love him.

James willingly let go of Lily finally and she adjusted her flowery shirt with a purpose. Decisively, Lily looked him up and down and seemed to recognize that he was not in his normal black robes or wearing his uniform for school. Her brows knit together as she processed this tidbit of information.

"Don't you have practice?" she asked James when he took another calculated step towards her, this time to brush her hair behind her ear again.

He nodded as he let his fingers fall through her soft hair, "well _yeah_ ," he indicated as if she was stating the obvious, "but I also have rounds."

Lily lifted an eyebrow and crossed her arms to make it more difficult for James to pull her in close when his wandering hands made their way to her abdomen again, "at the same time?"

"The times run over each other by fifteen minutes." James shrugged, not really bothered.

"You're missing fifteen minutes of quidditch?" Lily sounded alarmed.

James sniffed errantly, "As if," he winked at her, "I'm actually missing fifteen minutes of rounds."

Lily brought her hand up to grip his arm tenderly, grinning at him, "You're joking."

James stared at her earnestly, "Of _course_ I'm not. You know I don't joke about Quidditch."

"James." It looked for a moment as if she was going to reason with him not to skip the last bit of his Head Boy rounds but something abruptly changed her mind, "Well, if I'm being honest I'm just happy I could see you."

He was surprised at her soft reaction and became suspicious, "What do you want?"

"Nothing," she was lying, he could see it in her eyes, "I just thought you'd be too busy."

"I'm never too busy for you." And as if to prove his point, he pulled her in for another kiss.

Ever since they first kissed on Halloween it had been hard for James to stop trying to kiss her. He'd had a crush on Lily for ages but Lily had only started reciprocating those feelings recently. James had imagined what kissing her would be like and the dream was nothing close to as good as reality. Lily happily leaned into his embrace, pouting when he finally pulled away.

James smirked as he noticed her defensive moves, "Now, what do you want? Really?"

Lily smirked when she knew she was caught red handed, but instead of telling James what she was _really_ doing, she purposefully brought up their one and only argument.

"Look, I spoke to Anna about becoming a seeker and she really—"

James laughed as Lily tried to finish her sentence. It was no good, he was laughing too hard. Lily immediately glowered. He kissed her forehead, ignoring her disapproving noise.

"Lily I am _not_ switching Anna to seeker. She's a chaser. End of discussion."

"She's seeker material James!" Lily argued of James' prize chaser.

"And you're being meddlesome." He kissed her nose next, still chuckling at her persistence.

Lily had been trying to get him to make his chaser a seeker on the Quidditch team for months but to no avail. While James appreciated Lily's love for quidditch, she also loved to try and mess with the way he ran things. Starting with his seekers.

His kissed her again, spending a little too long doing so.

"I'm Captain, what I say goes." He said, lifting his lips from her mouth and placing them on her jaw.

"Hey captain?"

"Hm?" he hummed against Lily's neck, nuzzling her.

"You're fifteen minutes late for quidditch practice."

He let go of Lily so fast she stumbled a bit but she was too busy laughing at his reaction to notice. James glanced at his watch and noted that Lily was correct. He was missing quidditch practice. He cursed and she still looked amused.

"So much for not finishing rounds."

"You little vixen," he shook his finger at her as she leaned up against the wall next to him looking entirely too enticing for her own good.

"You're the one who started snogging me." She stuck her hands in her pockets and grinned innocently at him.

"It turns out being head boy, your dashing boyfriend, _and_ quidditch captain is quite the challenge."

Lily reached up and stood on her tiptoes so that she could ruffle his hair for him, "You're cute when you're trying to be courteous."

James tried to think of a witty comeback but with her hands in his hair and her face inches away all he managed was, "And you're just cute."

Suddenly she was backed up against the wall and this time there was no laughing or talking.

"Oh Merlin," a voice made Lily and James jump apart ruefully, "Do you two _ever_ stop snogging?"

James placed one more innocent kiss against her lips before casually turning so that they were both leaning against the wall. They'd been caught by another prefect, Robert Bertly. Robert was an arse and fashioned himself some kind of symbol of popularity at Hogwarts School. James slung an arm around Lily's shoulders before addressing the Ravenclaw in front of them.

"Bertly, mate, do us all a favor and keep walking."

Lily covered a laugh behind her hand as they watched Bertly stand up straighter and glare at James.

" Frist of all, I'm here to replace you for rounds Potter." Bertly said presumptuously, "Second of all, you two shouldn't abuse your authority by knocking students for snogging behind tapestries when you're always doing it in broad daylight."

"If you'd like I can go snog her behind a tapestry so you can yell at us on solid terms?" James offered, grabbing Lily's had as if to wisk them off to the nearest tapestry.

"No!" Bertly seemed to think James' jest was serious.

"Are you done?" Lily asked Bertley when he took a breath to continue degrading them.

Bertly slammed his mouth shut. Everyone took Lily way more seriously than they ever took James. Unless James was on a Quidditch Pitch, then no one messed with James' authority.

Lily seemed more furious with Bertly's intrusion than James was.

"I'm not on rounds," Lily told Bertly simply, "At which, I am at liberty to snog whomever I like. And if that person happens to be the Head Boy? Oh well. I don't remember asking your opinion."

"A fine point, Lily." James wittily commented from her left like he was discussing the falling dragon egg prices at a holiday dinner, "Let me continue _not_ abusing my authority…"

James took her hand and dragged her back into his side. Immediately he let his lips fall to her neck and she snorted indignantly, as if she couldn't believe what he was doing. Bertly looked revolted and continued walking away from the couple. James chuckled into her neck as he watched Bertly go.

"What a ponce." He muttered, keeping his hands around her waist so she couldn't escape.

Lily fell back against this chest and glared down the hallway after Bertly. James continued kissing every inch of her neck, nuzzling her fondly. James then looked down at a watch on his wrist and cursed, placing a sloppy kiss on her cheek and running away from her without another word.

Now he was _really_ late for quidditch practice.

"Oi!" Lily shouted after him, albeit playfully, "Don't kiss and run!"

"I got quidditch!" he shouted back at her, "Snog ya later!"

Lily laughed at his pro-quo and leaned against the wall as if exhausted. James turned back around, still racing down the hallway.

He couldn't _believe_ he was late to quidditch. Of course, snogging Lily had a way of making time fly by. He was fourty five minutes late by the time he'd made it to the pitch and grabbed his broom. Half the team was in the air doing speed drills. The other half of he team watched as James made his walk of shame to the middle of the pitch. His fellow chasers had been waiting for him to run quaffle drills. They teased him for the entire practice.

"You've _never_ been late!" Anna Faith hollered as she tossed a quaffle James' way fifty feet in the air, "Not even when you had the flu in fifth year!"

James rolled his eyes as he caught the quaffle easily, "I've been late before."

Anna stared at him with doubt on her rounded face, "You've _got_ to be kidding me, Potter."

"I'm not." James tossed the quaffle in the air, catching it as it fell back down, "I just had rounds."

"You've had rounds before," Michael Nalik spoke next as James tossed the quaffle his way, "why were these rounds any different?"

James flushed and a knowing look came over both Anna and Michael.

"Evans was there." Anna guessed, always the outspoken one.

James pretended to be interested in a nick on his broomstick, "Maybe."

"That's a yes," Michael laughed, chucking the quaffle at James jaggedly.

"Have you looked at rings yet?" Anna asked, catching the quaffle next as James chucked it away.

"Have I what?" James asked flabbergasted, but flushing a deep red because _of course he had_.

"Oh come on," Anna confided, "You two are utterly perfect together it's disgusting."

James opened and closed his mouth, trying to find proper ways to dispute Anna's claims. He could think of none.

Michael laughed, obviously entertained by James' love life, "Potter, you've been head over heels for Evans since you saw her, everyone knows it."

"So what's the problem?" James asked, chucking the round quaffle at Michel as he stared at Anna.

Anna leaned forward on her broomstick, looking considerate, "No problem," she said, "It's just kinda weird that you're only seventeen and so stricken."

"It's not weird that I'm in love with someone." James scoffed, but he knew that admitting he'd already planned on giving Lily his mother's old wedding band was a bit peculiar since they hadn't even graduated Hogwarts yet.

"No, but it's weird that the pair of you act like an old married couple." Michael ducked when James chucked the quaffle at him.

"I've known Lily since I was eleven!" James argued.

"He's getting defensive," Anna sang, "He's _totally_ looking at rings.

Even if they were right, James would never admit it to anyone, not even Sirius.

James fell asleep that night on the common room couch. Lily was wrapped up in a maroon blanket and her head was in his lap. She'd fallen asleep first, talking in her sleep like she normally did. James ran his fingers across the bridge of her nose, down her jaw, and through her hair.

Lily Evans Potter.

"It has a special ring too it," James decided out loud to himself before he drifted off to sleep.

 _Lily Evans Potter_

James's fingers gripped the quill he was holding when he saw how nicely her name flowed with the added letters. He'd been playing around with it all day in his head. James could think of no other person in the universe who had a more perfect name.

"Make sure you have your crushed dung beetles ready!" Professor Slughorn called to his class of Advanced Potioneers.

James' head shot up and he quickly crumpled the paper he'd been sketching on and stuffed it in his pocket. There was no need trying to explain to Lily why he'd been sketching her name with the added _Potter_ like a love-struck first year. She already made fun of him for carving their names into a desk in the astronomy tower and for sketching her initials between snitchs in sixth year (although she'd kept that parchment).

James pushed his own crushed beetles into a silver flask and looked to the desk on his left just in time to see Lily drop her own beetles into a blue painted flask. Lily looked up from her task and caught him staring. James winked at her and she smiled, blushing a bit and tucking her hair behind her ear before continuing her task. He looked away from Lily and shook his flask, staring thoughtfully at his desk. Slughorn came around the classroom and collected everyone's beetles for the large black pot in the front of the classroom.

"If everyone crushed their bugs perfectly," Slughorn smiled widely as he took Lily's beetles from her grasp, "The potion will turn the nice orange color described in _Advanced Potion Making_ and each house will receive ten points!"

Excited whispering lifted the sleepy spirits in the Potions classroom. Everyone stood in the edge of their toes as Slughorn dropped all the collected beetles into the potion the class was brewing together. Slowly, the color in the black pot turned from a lucid green to a vibrant orange. Everyone cheered and Slughorn laughed at the student's appeal to winning points for their houses.

"Great job everyone!" Slughorn called out, his giant belly jiggling as he stirred the contents of the goliath black cauldron; "We'll bottle this potion tomorrow so bring your crystal vials. Class dismissed!"

Lily fell into step next to James as the class filed out. Her shoulder brushed against his and he glanced down at her lovingly as their hands reached out to grasp each other. The second her fingertips brushed his they pulled back, almost in surprise. Suddenly, as if pulled, Lily was falling backwards. Her books dropped to the stone floor and her hands were thrown back to stop her head from banging against a desk.

Furiously Lily looked around at the same time as James did, only to see Thorfinn Rowle sneering down at her. Rowle's blonde hair was glimmering in the firelight and his eyes were slits as he sneered. James cursed inwardly. Rowle was such a git. Despite being appealing to the female eye and beater on the Slytherin quidditch team—Rowle was an arse with an appetite to make muggleborns like Lily miserable.

Even if James didn't like being Head Boy all the time it certainly came with one hefty advantage: he could hand out detentions. James hadn't _seen_ Rowle pull Lily backwards but he sure as Hell would find any opportunity to give Rowle detention.

James swooped down to collect Lily's book bag, stuffing her books back into it. James then reached out a hand to Lily. She reached out her hand and grasped his with a small smile, as if to reassure him she was fine. Lily started to stand up but Rowle stepped on Lily's robes as he stepped towards the classroom door, placing boot shaped prints on the dark fabric of her cloak. Lily's bottom lip trembled in fury as she scowled up at Rowle.

"Hey!" Lily snapped at Rowle irately.

James was still holding Lily's hand and her books so he couldn't reach for his wand.

"Sorry Evans," Rowle's stepped in front of the doorway with another sneer, "Didn't see you there."

James dropped the books and Lily's hand. James pulled his wand from his pocket and didn't care that he was aiming it at Rowle with Slughorn in the classroom.

"Potter! Rowle!" Slughorn finally saw the dodgy altercation happening in his classroom, "Wands away!"

"Potter's the one with his wand out Professor," Rowle replied pleasantly, "I was just trying to help up Evans."

James and Lily gawked suspiciously at Rowle. James wanted to punch Rowle. Rowle, not leaving Lily any time to call him every name in the book, left the classroom in a rush when Slughorn started waddling his way over. James watched Rowle go for a second before putting his wand back into his pocket and extending Lily his hand again. Lily took his help and he pulled her up off the cement floor.

"Are you alright, Lily?" Slughorn asked, concern laced in his voice, as Lily was one of his favorite students.

"Fine." Lily hissed as James got her books, "Just tripped."

Her book bag slipped from James' hands at her answer but he caught it last second. Lily sent him a stare to tell him to keep quiet and not argue while they were with a teacher. James kept his mouth pressed firmly shut. Slughorn patted Lily's shoulder kindly and she forced a smile. James clenched his jaw.

"See you tomorrow, Professor?" Lily asked the Potions Master.

Slughorn's mustache quivered, "Of course, Lily."

Lily grabbed James' elbow and guided him out of the classroom. They arrived in the walkways leading back to the main floor of the castle. James handed Lily her books back and they paused in their walk to stand and stare at each other. James brushed a hand along her arm.

"What happened."

"Rowle stepped on the back of my robes when I was walking so I'd fall." Lily said angrily, crossing her arms pungently.

"Why didn't you tell Slughorn what happened?" James asked, adjusting his own books in his book bag.

"Because even if Slughorn did call Rowle back—it would have done nothing except give Rowle another reason to keep bothering me." Lily responded tersely.

"Rowle deserves a good kick up the arse." James said furiously, "or at least a detention."

"Rowle's served a dozen detentions—just as many as Sirius—do you honestly think detentions work on boys like that?"

James frowned, "Did you just compare Sirius to Rowle?" James wrinkled his nose in sudden disagreement, "Rowle is a bully. Sirius is our friend."

"And they've both had a hundred detentions each." Lily said pointedly.

"For way different reasons." James argued loyally for Sirius' sake.

Lily crossed her arms and took a step away from James, "Your best friend was almost expelled for attempting to murder—"

James cut her off quickly, "Sirius didn't _try_ to murder anyone. Snape got nosey and Sirius thought he'd teach Snape a lesson."

Lily flipped her hair over one shoulder dramatically as if to prove her point; "Snape was in the Hospital Wing for weeks because the Whomping Willow attacked him after Sirius tricked him."

James reminded her kindly, "I spent several more in the wing than Snape after I saved his sorry arse," he leaned down as if to goad her, "You know Sirius gave Snape the idea to challenge the tree but Sirius sure as Hell didn't make Snape walk into a banned area of Hogwarts—Snape did that all himself." James stepped forward and placed his palm on her cheek, "but that's not who we're talking about. We're talking about Rowle."

"Same difference." Lily raised her eyebrow's at him and wiggled them for effect, "I've been dealing with Snape's and Rowle's for so long—it doesn't both me too much."

" _Too much_." He said softly, reached out for her to pull her in for a quick hug, "I've been dealing with them just as long Lily." He pulled away from her momentarily, "I've found out that you can save someone's _life_ and that doesn't even change who they are at heart, good or bad."

Lily wrinkled her nose at him playfully, "You like to bring up how often you save lives." She poked him in the chest with her finger, "Did you want a reward?"

James smiled and leaned down to press his lips against hers before pulling back rapidly, "A _thank you_ would suffice."

"And why should I tell you thank you?" Lily lied through her teeth, "We'd all be happy if the tree had just offed him."

James smirked, "Well, thank you and sorry are both on the menu for you today."

" _Sorry?_ for what?" Lily questioned with a mad laugh.

James adjusted his glasses, "The sorry is for accusing Sirius of being a bullying bigot like Rowle or Snape."

Lily knew that Sirius was certainly nowhere near as bad as Rowle. Lily also had considered the fact that Sirius hadn't forced Snape to do something that might kill him—Snape had chosen to do it himself. Lily and James had had the conversation plenty of times, she was simply annoyed and James knew it.

Snape and Rowle were both friends—James and Lily had both seen the Slytherin's hanging out together quite often.

"Rowle is an arse and Snape is an idiot."

She stuck her chin in the air and that only made James more amused with her exasperation. He lived for when Lily was sassy and cheeky. He loved the way her eyes lit up with fire. The air around them was buzzing with the electricity of her fury.

"Want me to go kick Rowle's sorry arse?" he whispered, brushing his fingers up and down her cheek.

"No." she stated, her green eyes were burning.

"I'd only hurt him a little." James grinned, winking at her, "Maybe a quick stinging hex? Or a bat bogey curse?"

"Leave it be, James." She told him with a small smile and a ruffle of his hair with her free hand.

He replied simply, with another shrug, as if this was well known, "I'll take your thank you in any form, but cards delivered via owl are preferred."

"You're dumb."

James laughed, "I could always just make Anna seeker, if that'll make you happy."

Lily rolled her eyes doubtfully, "You aren't _that_ considerate of my feelings."

James wiggled his eyebrows at her, "I'm a _very_ considerate person, Lily."

He leaned down and pushed his lips against hers. This time she kissed him back, keeping herself on her tiptoes to properly latch her mouth onto his mouth so he wouldn't leave her. There was nothing left in the world Lily could throw at James that would make him love her any less. In his mind, she was perfect even with her flaws.

She pulled away first, green eyes glimmering with delight. Lily pressed her left hand against his cheek and pressed her fingernails into his skin playfully. James clenched his jaw as he stared at her in complete bliss. Lily's right hand was wrapped around his red and gold tie, keeping him close.

"I love you." She said happily.

He pressed his lips to her forehead and murmured, "I love you more."

"Impossible." She mocked, tugging on his tie.

He didn't dare argue with her.

They walked hand in hand back up the stairs, as they always did. Lily had Advanced Charms next and James was across the hall from her in Advanced Transfiguration. It was the only class period they didn't share.

James always kept his arm slung around her shoulders and she always kept her hand in the back pocket of her muggle jeans. Lily did all of the talking most of the time. She always had something to say. Today she was commenting on the last quidditch match, complaining that Slytherin had only murdered Ravenclaw in the final five minutes because the Slytherin seeker was the best seeker in the league.

"If Ravenclaw had gotten more throws of the quaffle, Slytherin wouldn't have stood a chance."

James didn't know how he was so lucky to get a girl who was as passionate about quidditch as he was, "Ravenclaw's Captain didn't organize his team right." He told Lily, "Bloke put players where they shouldn't be."

"Obviously." Lily sniffed, "He put his best seeker as a chaser and put his beater as a seeker."

"He's a first year captain," James added as a reminder.

" _You_ were a first year captain and you weren't stupid enough to change your original team around." Lily replied briskly.

"Not everyone can be as good a captain as me." He nudged their shoulders together lightheartedly and she laughed, squeezing his arm.

"No I suppose not." She agreed, "but you still haven't made Anna a seeker yet either, so you aren't the _best_ Captain."

Lily opened a can of worms.

"Anna can't be a seeker!" James protested loudly, earning looks from everyone as they walked through the crowded hallways, "She's got the build for a chaser! She's too tall to be a seeker!"

"James she spots the snitch before Ralph half the time!"

This was a constant argument between the couple. James secretly loved it but he always acted frustrated. Lily was smirking up at him, still hanging onto his arm like a child. James wished Sirius had caught up them so he'd have someone to fight on his side.

"Lily, I'm not switching my players halfway through the season just because you have some unholy obsession with seekers!"

"You just don't like to have any fun." Lily grumbled and then she began laughing when he tickled her side with his free hand.

"You know that's not true." He laughed, leaning down to kiss the side of her head as they walked side by side.

She purred her disagreement, "If you loved me, you'd listen to me."

"I _always_ listen to you."

James and Lily stopped walking in the middle of the hallway. They'd reached the fork in the road. To the left, Lily's classroom. James' classroom was on the right-hand side, farther down the hall. James brushed her red hair over her shoulder with one of his hands. James could spend his entire life staring into her eyes. If he stared long enough James swore the world around them evaporated and Lily was all that was there. Her infectious smile. Her melodic laugh. Her flowery smell. Her mind-numbing touch.

Lily brushed down his robes with her hands getting rid of any wrinkles she saw, "Thank you."

"For what?" he asked.

He wasn't totally paying attention to Lily, as he was lost in her emerald eyes.

"For always thinking of me." She replied, standing on her tiptoes only so she could press her lips against his cheek.

She walked into her classroom backwards so she could continue smiling at him until the door shut in front of her. James let out a breath he wasn't aware he had been holding. Someone pushed against him, their shoulders grazing roughly. James woke up from his daze and glared at the intruder to his happiness. Rowle glared back at James with his friends at his side, sneering at James with distaste.

"Blood doesn't mix." Rowle booed.

James' fists clenched at his comment, "eat dragon balls, Rowle."

Rowle just snorted and kept walking, as if uninterested in James' words. James' fingers itched for his wand. Lily had asked him not to get involved but Rowle was _asking_ for it.

"Hey Prongs." A casual voice came from behind, "Ready for class?"

When James turned and gave Sirius Black a sour look Sirius raised an eyebrow. Sirius had known James just as long as Lily and could tell when James was pissed. Sirius was James' best mate and didn't need a map drawn to know James was seeking revenge.

"What happened?" Sirius asked.

"Rowle." James said simply.

A knowing shadow crossed across Sirius' pale face and the pair walked together to transfiguration in silence. James knew that out of anyone in Hogwarts, Sirius understood James and Lily more than anyone. Sirius was raised on the ideals that people like James and Lily weren't allowed to be together. James' parents were magical, as were his grandparents, and his great-grandparents. Lily was born magical to two non-magical parents.

There were some wizards who believed James should never enter relations with a woman like Lily. There were some wizards who believe it was unethical for James, who came from magical decent, to ever have a relationship with Lily, who came from a muggle (non magical) background. James' family might've been pureblood but they'd raised James to treat everyone equally, no matter their family history. Sirius grew up on the other side; the side that viewed James' love for Lily abnormal.

"The purebloods are getting worse." James commented as the two friends sat down to their seats in the bustling Transfiguration classroom, "Mulciber's been stalking Mary MacDonald again and I saw Snape practicing his tricks on third years again. Then, down in potions, Rowle _tripped_ Lily purposely."

Sirius leaned on his chair, "it shouldn't surprise you."

Sirius waved at Remus Lupin, their other friend, who entered through the classroom door and came to sit by them.

"It doesn't surprise me." James said, "It _annoys_ me."

"What annoys you?" Remus fell into the seat beside Sirius, dropping a large bag of books in front of them.

"Slytherins." Sirius told Remus, "Being gits as per usual."

Remus' face fell, "I passed Snape and Rowle on my way here."

"My two favorite people." James commented ironically.

Remus itched a scar on his cheek awkwardly, "Rowle was complaining about something repulsive and Snape glared at me like _I_ was that thing."

"Two guesses to as whom Rowle was complaining about." James said as he pulled his wand from his pocket for class.

Remus brushed his sandy hair from his eyes, "Who?"

"Lily and James." Sirius said for James and Remus' eyes sparked with interest.

"Ah." Remus' face possessed the same knowing look that shadowed Sirius' face in the hallway.

"What about Lily and James?" Peter Pettigrew, the last member of James' friend group appeared from behind.

"They're disgusting, apparently." Remus said.

"I mean you aren't wrong." Sirius ducked when James swung at him with his arm.

"Have you seen them snog?" Peter sank into a chair beside James.

Remus grinned, "Who hasn't?"

Sirius sighed deeply, longingly, "A lucky bastard, somewhere outside these halls."

Remus laughed with Peter.

James scowled at his friends, "I'm not messing around, and Rowle purposely pushed Lily down earlier today."

Peter seemed appalled, "Lily _didn't_ decapitate him?"

"She doesn't want to give him any more a reason to pick on her." James rolled his eyes at her excuse.

Remus said, "Well, that's probably for his best interest as she could easily take him out."

James, Sirius, and Peter all nodded their heads sympathetically. They all knew Lily's ability with a wand.

James said crossly as their teacher finally entered the classroom, "I wish I could take him."

"I'd help you." Sirius agreed, grey eyes trained on the front of the room where Professor McGonagall was staring at them all, demanding silence.

"Lily doesn't _want_ us too." James mumbled.

"Good. Don't go getting into trouble," Remus muttered as the noise in the classroom died down, "Lily won't thank you for getting detention."

James and Sirius exchanged a glance that Remus pretended not to notice. As Professor McGonagall started lecturing on water trans morphing James imagined turning Rowle and Snape into giant popsicles. They'd be as cold as their hearts.

Once class was dismissed, Sirius nudged James with his foot while they grabbed their bags, "What were you planning during lessons?"

"Fancy making popsicles?" James asked Sirius cheerily.

Remus and Peter both moaned, Sirius laughed jovially and clapped both uninterested boys on the shoulders.

"You two should be happy," Sirius said rowdily, "Without James and I, your lives would be substantially more boring."

"And substantially less threatening." Peter whined, "normally with you two I end up as the distraction and get my arse kicked."

"I'll be distraction." James offered to appease Peter, "Merlin knows that Rowle can't resist taking the mickey out of me today and if Snape's still with him…I will undoubtedly be the center of attention."

"James you're Head Boy." Remus lamented as they exited the classroom with their heads bent together covertly.

"And _your_ prefect." James shot back tenuously, "if you really have a problem, you can be the one who busts me for it."

"Great." Remus said sarcastically, "A double agent."

Sirius grinned as if Christmas had come early, "So what's the plan Prongs?"

"Professor McGonagall said to practice our freezing charms for next weeks class…" James grinned wickedly at his mates, "I know _just_ who to practice them on."

They found Rowle and his mates quite easily. Mulciber was sitting on a ledge near the courtyard looking like king of the castle. He was the ringleader of the gang of Slytherin's who fashioned themselves future dark wizards. Rowle was below Mulciber, talking to Severus Snape. They were all too caught up to notice James coming towards them with a cool smile. Somewhere behind James, Sirius and Peter were under the invisibility cloak, ready to freeze their targets. Remus was somewhere in the courtyard, listening and ready to jump into action as a perfect prefect.

Snape spotted James first, almost like he expected James to appear around every corner. He immediately looked revolted, like James was carrying around a dead animal in his pockets and smelled terribly.

"Potter." He spat like James was the reincarnation of the Devil.

"Snape aren't you looking ravishing today," James said sarcastically, "Gotten some new grease for the hair?"

Snape blanched but wasn't able to attack James before Rowle had stepped to the front of the party. James didn't realize how easy it was to get Rowle's attention.

"Well, well, if it isn't Potter the mudder."

James blanched at the term and stared in shock at Rowle for the comment. James hadn't ever heard anyone use the deprecating expression before. Instead of freezing him, James was going to make Rowle's life living Hell and give the bloody bigot detention for a month. Or the rest of the year, at this rate.

James whipped out his wand, "What the _Hell_ is your problem Rowle? I'm Head Boy."

"Is that supposed to make me respect you?" Rowle's black eyes glistened as he said the derogatory word again, " _Mudder_."

Sparks flew from the end of James' wand. James had anticipated Rowle to be trouble but Rowle's insistent use of the disparaging slag for a pureblood that sleeps with muggleborns made James' blood boil. It was not only insulting James, but insulting his girlfriend as well. The Slytherin's nearby whispered and laughed at the name Rowle had tossed at James.

Rowle's eyes shot to the sparks erupting from James' wand and he sneered, "You don't like me making fun of your mudblood, do you?"

James snarled and stepped forward only to be caught off guard and dropping his wand to the floor as his wand arm erupted in pain. Blood rolled down his white school sleeves. James looked around for the perpetrator who had sliced him. Snape's wand was out, pointed at James in defense. James gripped his arm and tried to stop the heavy flow of bleeding.

"You bastard." James hissed at Snape, "What a way to treat someone who saved your worthless life."

Snape stepped forward, wand rising in an arc in the air, ready to strike James again. Remus appeared out of nowhere, stepping in front of James, startling Snape. Ever since Snape had learned the secret about Remus being a werewolf in sixth year, the Slytherin could never bring himself to look Remus straight in the eyes. Snape's fear was James' saving grace.

"Let's all be cool about this!" Remus had his hands up, but his wand was balancing on the edge of his fingertips.

"Back off Lupin," Rowle said from his position behind the fighters. He had no idea there was a werewolf standing in front of him, "Potter started it and unless you want the same scar as him—"

Of course, Remus was about as much a fan of Rowle as anyone and without another word, Remus flicked his wand ever so slightly. If James weren't so familiar with Remus' wandwork he would've thought the spell came out of thin air. Remus sent a wave of blue sparkles through the air, like snowflakes. A majority of them hit Rowle. Some of the sparks hit Snape's raised arm and he howled as his hand was encased in a sheet of clear ice.

Mulciber jumped from his throne, wand out and pointed at Remus and James. Suddenly Peter was on James' left and Sirius was on his right. Wands were being pointed in every direction, the courtyard at a standstill. James' eyes flashed to stare at Remus' handiwork. Remus must've been too close when he casted the freezing charm.

Rowle was immobile, frozen in a sheer pane of ice from the neck down.

"What in the name of Merlin is goin' on here?" Hagrid, the groundskeeper had appeared, looking furious.

James felt a giant hand push him away from the frozen Slytherins. Snape was struggling to try and free his wand from the ice that Remus had encased it in. Rowle's teeth were chattering and he was unable to get out any words. He was snarling enough for James to know that he was pissed. Remus looked down at his wand, pleasantly surprised.

"I think you really cooled them down mate." James threw his good arm around Remus; his arm was in too much pain to move.

"What happened here?!" Hagrid ordered one of them to talk.

"Potter froze them!" Mulciber roared, pointing at James.

The half-giant groundkeeper turned to frown at James.

James raised his _still_ bleeding arm, "It was self defense, sir."

"All of you to the Hospital Wing, right now!" Hagrid demanded, picking up Rowle and turning his body so that he carried the frozen figure like a suitcase.

Hagrid cleared through the path of students. Snape followed; arm still frozen solid with his wand pointed at the ceiling. The entire scene was hysterical. James had a hard time not laughing every time Snape's wand tip hit the doors they walked through to get to the Hospital Wing.

"Moony." James whispered to him as they walked behind the frozen parade, "You outdid yourself."

"I didn't _mean_ to freeze him completely," Remus hissed back, worry very clear in his eyes.

James immediately reassured his friend, "Don't _worry_ , everyone thinks I did it. You'll be fine."

"You can't take the fall for this." Remus argued instantly, "Lily will be _so_ mad."

"Don't push me Remus," James warned, "I'm not letting you get into trouble. It was my idea to prank them in the first place." He grinned as they walked into the hospital wing's warm glow, "You were just trying to keep the peace."

James tried to ignore the fine point that Lily would likely be pissed when she finally heard of this adventure.

Hagrid arranged the ice block that was Rowle on the floor of the Hopsital Wing as the Healer called Promfry came rushing into the hall looking positively beside herself at the sight of so many people in her ward. Madame Promfry grabbed Rowle's face (which was now bright blue) in worry.

"Hagrid, fetch Professor Flitwick immediately." Hagrid nodded and left the hospital wing, every step creating a loud crash as he ran for Professor Flitwick the charms professor.

When her eyes grazed past Rowle onto Snape she frowned. Snape's nose was pointed at the floor and his oily hair covered his eyes. James could easily imagine the glare on his sallow face. James didn't fancy being around when Snape gained control of his wand arm again. Snape's wand would be directed directly at James' heart fast than anyone could say stop.

James was still gripping his own arm. The white shirt he wore was soaked through with scarlet blood. James was certain the long gash on his arm was magically procured to make sure he never stopped bleeding. Even now James was feeling a bit feint, though he tried not to show it. When the healer's eyes reached James' bloodied arm her eyes narrowed.

"I should've known it'd be one of you boys." She said in James and Remus' direction.

"Guilty as charged Promfry." James grinned charmingly, holding up his arm to show the blood dripping from his wound like a melting icicle, "Got anything to stop the bleeding?"

Professor Flitwick burst through the doors of the hospital wing, little feet keeping a steady pace. The bearded dwarf didn't even ask how Rowle and Snape had come to be covered in ice. He immediately started examining the magical ice sheaths.

"Can we use a heating charm Flitwick?" Healer Promfry asked quickly, "The boy is freezing to death."

"We can't, the heat could send his body into shock," Flitwick was tapping on the icy thigh of Rowle, " but we could transfigure the ice back to water."

Suddenly, Professor McGonagall entered and James groaned inwardly. Things were never good when the deputy headmistress was involved. Hagrid came into the Hospital Wing after her. McGonagall's eyes searched the room and found James. He could feel disappointment radiating from her every pore. James, for the first time that day, lowered his head in humiliation.

"Ah, Minerva," Flitwick called the tall witch over to Rowle's side, "Mind preforming a quick transfigure from ice to water?"

With a simple wave of her long willow wand, the ice fell from around Rowle and landed on the floor into a puddle of water. Rowle fell to the floor in the middle of the puddle, curled up into a ball. He was blue and his teeth were chattering at an uncontrollable rate. Healer Promfry quickly got Hagrid's help to pick Rowle up and placed on one of the many hospital beds.

McGonagall released Snape's arm from the wall of ice and as James predicted, Snape's wand went from pointing at the air to pointing directly at James. James slowly reached for his own wand in an act of defense. James trusted Snape as much as he trusted a niffler in a bank—he didn't.

McGonagall saw Snape's precisely aimed wand and snapped quickly, "Wand away, Mr. Snape."

Snape's glare could kill a man as he stowed his wand away and Madame Promfry began to exam his arm. McGonagall turned lastly to James, looking furious.

"James Potter you are Head Boy, I would expect this of Mr. Black but _certainly_ you know better than to start fights in the school hallways—I should have your badge for this you know better—" James was only just aware of McGonagall lecturing him to Hell and back.

James' eyes were focusing in and out. Beside James, Remus seemed to notice James' odd rocking back and forth.

"James?" Remus asked tentatively.

James would've liked to tell Remus he was feeling a bit sick but he blacked out before he could.

James woke up in the hospital wing hours later. James moaned and lifted his arms out from under the covers of the hospital bed. Even though he wasn't wearing his glasses James could make out things through his blurry vision. He found that while he'd been knocked out, his arm had been fixed, but there was still a nice scar running from his wrist to his elbow. James licked his lips and turned over so he was facing the front of the hospital. Madame Promfry was leaning over Rowle, who was looking less blue.

Shame, James liked him better that way.

Remus, Peter, and Sirius perked up from their positions by his bedside when he moved to grab his glasses from the bedside table. When he put the thick frames on he could see much clearer.

"How long was I asleep for?" James moaned.

Sirius grinned and ruffled James' black hair playfully, "Long enough for McGonagall to feel bad about lecturing you."

James sat up and looked around. The sun was setting outside the windowpanes. James pushed the covers off and stood up out of the bed, ruffling his hair as he yawned. Madame Promfrey looked over from her examination of Rowle.

"Your arm is fine, Potter." She called to him, "It'll be tender. Try to not get into anymore fights."

James nodded and grabbed his sweater from the pillows. The four boys walked out of the Hospital wing, heads bent together.

"McGonagall really feels bad?" James asked in disbelief.

"I mean she'll _probably_ give you detention tomorrow," Remus replied, "But the moment your head hit the floor she was more concerned on if you'd still be able to play quidditch."

James grinned, good old McGonagall, putting Quidditch over life and limb.

"Plus I talked you up," Peter said, keeping stride with James, "Told her that Rowle was saying—those words—she softened up a bit after that."

James rubbed his arms, a casual reminder of the words Rowle had so easily spit. Hopefully Lily never found out what had exactly happened. As much as Lily played fearless muggle born, James knew words aimed at her heritage really hurt her. James didn't need a reminder of the many times he's caught her crying or disheartened over words spoken to her in passing by the really nasty Slytherins.

James had no intentions of letting Rowle get to him. James knew that some wizards found his relationship with Lily unethical. James couldn't give less of a shit about their feelings. He couldn't wait for the day Lily Evans became Lily Potter, then maybe the purebloods would get the fact that James didn't care about their opinions.

The boys went right to dinner, not bothering to stop by the common room for James to change. James simply through his sweater over his school shirt, covering the blood. He'd been in worse straights before and he was hungry. Not to mention, James would feel ten times better when he'd found Lily and told her a (edited) version of the day's events.

Sirius was complaining loudly as they sat down about how Remus got to have all the fun this time around. Remus was telling Sirius to shut up. It was a normal dinner, no one even asked about the incident in the hallways between James and Rowle. Even Snape stuck to his own table (though James noticed bandages on his hand where Remus had froze him).

The only thing missing was James' girlfriend.

"YOU. FROZE. HIM."

 _Shit._

James' eyes connected with Sirius who was slowly shaking his head at James, as if begging James not to turn around and look at the person yelling behind him. Of course, James could do no such thing. When your girlfriend yells at you—you've got to give her your undivided attention. With a deep breath, James turned and saw Lily hovering over him with the look of death in her eyes.

She was blinking at alarming rate and her wand was drawn, pointed at his back. James tried to calm her down by laughing and pushing her wand away cleverly. Her eyes only narrowed more.

"Lil it's fine..."

"It's not _fine_!" She was angry, he could see that, but his main goal was to cool her off, not heat her up.

James stood up quickly, aware that everyone in the hall was staring. He had to get her out of the hall. He had to keep his cool. They couldn't fight, not in front of everyone. Lily had other ideas. She crossed her arms, wand dangling on her fingertips as she spoke her next sentence, laced with poison.

"You deliberately disregarded me!" she huffed, " do you even listen when I talk to you?"

"I always listen to you!" James instantaneously quarreled back, face red as everyone around them stared.

"You're such an arse, James Potter!" Lily slashed her wand in the air, red sparks omitting from it, "I asked you to leave them alone and you _froze_ Rowle." She snarled, "I ought to freeze you and see how you like it."

"In all fairness, James—"

"Not now Sirius!" Lily and James snapped at Sirius who immediately threw his hands up in defense.

"Just trying to help…" Sirius stuffed his mouth with potatoes and sent James an annoyed glance.

Lily began ripping James a new one so he was forced to turn his attention back to her, "Rowle's in the hospital wing! And don't even get me _started_ on Snape. I saw him earlier. _Both_ of them have freeze burns on their bodies!" she pressed her fingers to her temples as she spoke, "I mean what were you even _thinking_ —never mind I know what you were thinking." She pressed her wand tip into his chest as she continued embarrassing him in front of everyone in the Great Hall, "I'm James Potter. I've got to show Rowle that I'm so much better than him…I ought to fight him and show him how cool and conceited and _better_ I am!"

"Her impressions are spot on." James heard Peter mutter on his left, James kicked back with his foot and Peter squealed.

James' face was warm; he couldn't believe how much yelling she was doing. She had no idea what had happened. She thought he'd gone after Rowle with intent to make himself be the bigger man? Lily was silent now, her chest heaving up and down, waiting for James' reply. When he didn't give any she huffed and stomped her foot.

"I mean honestly, did you have to start a riot in the middle of the courtyard?" she continued and he finally broke.

"Don't you go getting mad thinking that _I_ started this," James ripped up his right sleeve to show her the giant cut going up his arm, "they weren't _exactly_ innocent either."

"You provoked them!" Lily shouted in disbelief, past the point of feeling sorry for her boyfriend apparently, "You walked right up to them! Mary McDonald saw you!"

"I was just going to—" he struggled and she knew she'd caught him, "I was just—" his shoulder dropped, "I just wanted you not to worry about them."

Lily's mouth opened and then closed before she said coolly "I don't care about them."

"Then why are you angry?!" James asked moodily, letting his fingers pull at the strands of hair atop his head.

"You are _just_ as bad as they are." She snapped and James' shoulders fell even more.

"You don't mean that." He whispered.

Lily started at him, nostrils flaring before turning away from him and starting to stomp away.

"Lily." He sighed deeply, letting his hand fall from his hair.

She didn't turn. She always waited for an apology. She wasn't waiting now.

Lily kept walking.

"Lily! Please?" He shouted after her retreating back.

"Shove off, James!" She screeched, visibly upset.

James began jogging up the isle offer her, "Lily come on! _Lily_. LIL."

She grabbed hold of the doors, about to leave.

 _"Lily Potter!"_

That made her turn.

At first he wasn't sure what he'd said to make her go so pale and her eyes lose their fire immediately. Then he brain managed the moment.

 _Potter._

 _Lily Potter._

James looked around. Everyone watching was silent. Eyes were glaring at him from every side of the Great Hall and whispers began like a flurry of birds in trees. James looked back to Lily.

She was standing tall, staring at him with a look he couldn't place.

"What did you just call me?" Her hand was still on the door.

James faltered, "uh, Lily."

"After that." She demanded, stepping away from the door.

He'd done it. He'd officially jumped farther than Lily was willing to fall. And he did it in front of everyone.

He stared at the cobblestoned floor in despair. "Lily _Potter_."

He waited for it; he gave her the chance to say it, that he was too much for her.

But the words never came.

He forced himself to look up and he looked right into her eyes. She was like gravity, keeping him planted firmly on his feet despite feeling like he was going to fall to his knees. Lily looked like he'd just proposed, a pale hand covering her scarlet lips in shock. James struggled to communicate but he was currently just praying to himself that she wouldn't run.

"You're both so obscenely dramatic and irresponsible, fighting like an old married couple."

Sirius appeared out of nowhere grumbling, taking both Lily and James by the arm and guiding them out of the silent Great Hall. James saw some of the shocked faces of the students who heard the entire interaction. Susie Lackey had a hand covering her mouth in shock. A group of third years were whispering tersely to each other. Sirius looked unsurprised and genuinely annoyed.

James could feel everyone's eyes on his back as Sirius pulled the mortified couple from the nightmare. Lily's green eyes were wide as she processed James' slip. Sirius towed the pair to a nearby classroom. Lily was struggling, cursing out Sirius to let get of her arm.

James was trying to figure out how to get himself out of the hole he'd dug for himself.

Sirius pushed them both into the classroom, blocking the door, "You two can stay in here and talk." His grey eyes were aggressive, "but before Lily dismembers you James for your genius in the Great Hall—" Sirius turned his face to look at Lily who stood with her arms crossed, "James _didn't_ turn Rowle into a popsicle…but he should have."

The door shut behind Sirius and James heard the distinct sounds of someone leaning against the door so neither James nor Lily could run.

"You'd better start talking and quickly Potter," Lily spoke first, " _What_ did Sirius mean? Why were you attacking Rowle? _Why the Hell did you call me Lily Potter?_ "

James moaned and grabbed at his hair stressfully, "I'm so sorry Lil, you weren't listening!"

"I'm listening now but I don't know for how much longer."

James licked his lips and explained hastily, "Rowle was saying—well—" James was having trouble bringing himself to say the word without throwing up, "Rowle called me—"

"A prick?" An arse? A—" she was struggling through words too, staring at him in disbelief, "Merlin James, just spit it out, you never have a problem being crude normally."

"A _mudder_!" James blurted out and immediately regretted it, his stomach rolled.

Lily blinked naïvely, "A what?"

James moaned and turned, grabbing fistfuls of his hair and kicking at a desk in frustration. Of course Lily didn't know the term; she was muggleborn. Before Lily came to Hogwarts she was blissfully unaware of all the derogatory terms that wizards had made up, it was only in recent years with the rise of dark wizards that she'd been introduced to hatred. James usually relied on her ignorance of the subject but today is was another barrier between them that allowed Rowle another blow—this time aimed directly at Lily.

James said moodily, "It's what purebloods call someone who's—" he ran his fingers through his hair, "well, it's someone who shags a muggleborn."

Instead of her scoffing, there was silence.

James forced himself to look at Lily and saw she had her back to him. Her arms were wrapped around herself like a safety net. He had seen her cry enough times to know that's what she was doing—and she was trying to not let him see. James let his hands fall to his sides and he stared at her back pitifully, wanting only to wrap her up in a hug and not knowing if she wanted him too.

"Lil," he spoke her name as softly as he could.

She didn't make any movement to show that she heard him.

"Lily." He said, a bit firmly, and this time she turned.

Her eyes were red and tears were slipping down her cheeks. H didn't care if she didn't want him around her anymore; his heart broke the moment he watched her tears drip down her face and onto her pretty blouse. James rushed forward and pushed his hands against her cheeks, using his thumbs to push the tears away. Lily's shoulders were trembling as she leaned her forehead against his chest.

"Why can't you just ignore them?" She asked, "Why can't they just let us be?"

James brushed his fingers through her hair, "You know I can't help it."

Lily moaned and hit her fists against his chest, "But why, God dammit! James!" she glared up at him when he took a step back from her assault, "why can't _you_ just stay out of it!

He said pointedly and stupidly, "I don't _want_ to stay out of it."

She threw her hands in the air in disgust then shot at him, "Does it even matter to you how I feel?" she let out a short laugh, "I'm a wreck, James! You bloody ended up in the Hospital Wing because you couldn't keep your bloody pride in check!"

"Of course I'm not going to keep my _bloody pride_ in check!" he shouted back, "Not when it involves you!"

"Don't act like you were doing it for me!" she slammed her fist against a desk, "James you try to make it out like every move you make is to angle yourself a hero but if you keep going down this road—if you keep trying to get revenge—you are no better than them!"

"I can't believe you think that I'm doing _anything_ because I want to play hero!" James pulled his glasses off and put them back on with trepidation, "I mean Hell…Lily…we're not fifteen years old anymore! I mean sure, I wanted to go prank Rowle for being an arse. _Whatever_. I probably would've left him with a nasty head cold—you know I'm shit at charms compared to you!" James was pacing in one spot, anger mounting, "But then Rowle had to go and bring you into it and before I could even give him detention or bloody do _something_ before Snape ripped open my other arm, Remus stepped in and froze the lot of 'em! So I don't expect a thank you or a bloody _fucking_ card but I would expect you to understand that—"

"Remus?" her voice had drastically changed and he paused to glower at her, breathing heavily from his monologue.

Lily's green eyes flickered as she spoke again, " _Remus froze them_?"

James ran his fingers through his hair and gawked at her, "Sirius just told you I didn't freeze Rowle."

"Remus did the charm?" Lily covered her mouth again, like she had in the Great Hall.

"Snape was about to slice and dice me" James replied, he was cooling down slightly, "and Mulciber was coming to help him. Remus lashed out before a huge fight started and other people got hurt."

Lily sat on the edge of a desk and considered James through her long lashes. Her face was slowly returning to its lightly flushed peach color now that she was no longer crying. James shoved his hands into his robe pockets.

"I know you don't want me to fight." he mumbled, keeping his eyes trained on her, "And I know you can sure as well defend yourself."

Lily bit her lip and he saw tears were still hanging in her eyes. He stepped towards her again and pulled his hands from his pockets. James placed his hands on her shoulders, holding her to her position in the classroom.

"I don't want you to fight because I don't want you to get hurt." She lightly touched his arm, the one Snape had sliced open, "Your pranks are one thing James. Dark Magic is another."

James continued sincerely, "don't bother hoping I'll change and stop fighting those idiots or we'll never get farther than this room because I'd go to war for you. I _will_ go to war for you. I love you."

"If you think I'm letting you off the hook because you just said the sweetest thing in the world—" Lily hiccupped and covered her face with her hands, clearly still crying and trying not to show it.

James wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into him so that she was crying against his chest. He leaned his face into her hair, smelling her flowery shampoo and vanilla perfume.

"I love you more than you'll ever know." She finally declared, talking into his chest.

He kissed the top of her head, "I love you most."

James meant it, every word.

"James."

"Hm?" he was brushing his fingers through her hair, feeling the silky strands slips through his fingertips.

She reached up with one of her hands to brush his fringe from his face, "I know you aren't—I wasn't trying to say you cared about yourself more than you cared about me. Anyone with eyes can see how much you love me." And then a smile he knew all too well appeared on her face, "Or should I say…anyone with ears?"

Immediately James flushed, "About what I said in the Great Hall—"

She cut him off quickly, "Yeah, about that." Her smile wasn't as full as normal but it was still a witty grin, "How are you going to explain yourself?"

James groaned and she giggled and pressed her forehead into his chest again, breathing in deeply. James rocked them back and forth as he considered the options in his head,

"We'll either have to make up a very elaborate story where we eloped in America over Christmas break—"

She pulled back and made a face at him, "Not likely James Potter."

"I'll have my mum owl the ring tomorrow morning." James shrugged, ignoring her qualms.

Lily hit him in his arm and he half laughed, half moaned, pulling away from her to look at his arm where she hit him exactly on his wound.

"Oh James, _I'm sorry_!" She immediately apologized, stepping forward to touch his other arm safely, "Does it hurt terribly?"

"It didn't until you smacked it," he looked up at her since he was bent forward in pain, "What was that for?"

"For acting like you have a ring and everything picked out for a proposal." Lily said, looking more and more like herself as their conversation continued.

"Of course I have a bloody ring for you." James scowled at her, "I love you. Or do you need me to continue shouting _Lily Potter_ in front of all of Hogwarts to believe me?"

She blinked at him and looked like she was going to burst into tears again, "Stop it." She told him.

"Stop what?" he asked, standing up straight and holding out his hands for her to grab.

"You can't be serious right now." She said, "Having a ring…and calling me Lily _Potter_."

"I really didn't mean too shout that in the Great Hall." James persuaded her, cheeks flushing with the truth "I'd just been playing around with the name the last few days…and then it just slipped…"

"Lily Potter." When she said it, it sounded like music to his ears, "Lily Evans Potter."

Lily smiled at him when she saw how wide his grin was at her saying the words he'd let slip. Her green eyes were no longer full of tears but they still sparkled brilliantly. Lily licked her lips and placed her hands against his chest, letting her hands curl around the edges of his sweater.

"It does have a ring to it," Lily offered, a fantastic smirk on her face, "I can see why you were considering— _omph_."

James no longer cared that they were in the middle of a classroom or that he'd called her Lily Potter in the middle of dinner, during an argument, in the Great Hall. All he cared about was Lily Evans, considering how well her name coincided with his name. All he cared about was her laugh, caught on his lips as he kissed her.

James pressed their foreheads together, "What do you say we take this somewhere else where Sirius isn't waiting for us?"

Lily pressed her own kisses along his jaw, nodding and nuzzling at the same time.

James grabbed her hand and pulled her to the closed classroom door, knocking on the wood roughly, "Oi! Sirius! Let us out! We've stopped fighting and would like to go someplace a bit more pri-"

No one answered. James jiggled the door handle. The door swung open and Sirius was nowhere to be found. Lily and James exchanged sensual grins. Instead of wondering where James' conniving best mate had gone, Lily and James closed the classroom door immediately and locked it from the inside.

In another few seconds, James had Lily pressed up against the door, his lips traveling down her throat. His hands traveled down her sides tugging her closer with each inch. Lily's hands were tugging on his belt as he lavished her neck. All of a sudden Lily stopped tugging, James let his eyes open and he pulled away from her to see she was staring at him.

"What," he asked, definitely preferring kissing to talking.

"It's Thursday." She said, as if announcing that it was raining in England.

James rolled his eyes and went back to kissing her neck, "Okay."

Lily pushed him off and glared at him, "Don't you have Quidditch practice?"

James pulled away from her in sudden disarray, "They're gonna murder me." He whispered, "What time is it?"

Lily glanced at a watch on her wrist, "Half past eight."

Thirty minutes late. James could hear their smug voices now, especially if any of them had seen his fall in the Great Hall. James cursed and Lily laughed, running her fingers through his hair as he stared at her in horror.

"They're going to fire me from being Captain," James lamented.

"Good," Lily commented playfully, "Maybe then someone will make Anna a seeker."

James let go of her and she sank back into the door he'd been snogging her against. She looked put out that he was about to abandon her for Quidditch after their heart to heart. Lily licked her swollen lips and winked at him. James tried to ignore her lure by joking along to cool down the air.

"You will literally _never_ be happy until I make Anna seeker."

"This was my plan all along." She waggled her eyebrows at him.

James grabbed her by the shoulders, "Move." He pushed her from the doorway.

"Oh," Lily clicked her tongue, "You cannot tell Lily Potter to move."

James half laughed and half moaned at her using the name again. He wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her forehead quickly before letting go again.

"You aren't Lily Potter, _yet_."

She smiled at him impishly as he yanked open the door to the hallway, "remember to have your mum owl that ring tomorrow, okay?" she was unbuttoning the top button of her blouse unashamedly.

She knew just how to get him back into her arms.

"Oh fuck it," he said, shutting the door again.

James would be late to quidditch practice for the rest of his sorry life thanks to Lily Evans (Potter).


End file.
